Anaesthesia for a patient with Leigh's syndrome undergoing surgery for scoliosis.

Anaesthesia for patients with Leigh's syndrome has rarely been reported. Leigh's syndrome or subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy is a neurodegenerative disorder of infancy or childhood. Acute exacerbation with respiratory failure may accompany surgery and general anaesthesia. In this case report we describe the anaesthetic management of a 17 year old patient scheduled for spine surgery.

Propofol versus remifentanil for monitored anaesthesia care during colonoscopy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: We conducted an open, prospective, randomized study to compare the efficacy, safety and recovery characteristics of remifentanil or propofol during monitored anaesthesia care in patients undergoing colonoscopy. METHODS: Forty patients were randomly assigned to receive either propofol (1 mg kg(-1) followed by 10 mg kg (-1) h(-1), n = 20) or remifentanil (0.5 microg kg(-1) followed by 0.2 microg kg(-1) min(-1), n = 20). The infusion rate was subsequently adapted to clinical needs. RESULTS: In the propofol group, arterial pressure and heart rate decreased significantly from the baseline. These variables remained unchanged in the remifentanil group, but hypoventilation occurred in 55% of patients. Early recovery was delayed in the propofol group (P < 0.002). Recovery of cognitive and psychomotor functions was faster in the remifentanil group. Fifteen minutes after anaesthesia, the Digit Symbol Substitution Test score was 28.6 +/- 12.8 versus 36.2 +/- 9.4 and the Trieger Dot Test score was 25.6 +/- 8.1 versus 18.7 +/- 4.1 in the propofol and remifentanil groups, respectively (both P < 0.05). Patient satisfaction, using a visual analogue scale, was higher in the propofol group (96 +/- 7 versus 77 +/- 21, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Remifentanil proved efficient in reducing pain during colonoscopy. Emergence times were shorter and the recovery of cognitive function was faster with remifentanil compared with propofol. Remifentanil provided a smoother haemodynamic profile than propofol; however, the frequent occurrence of remifentanil-induced hypoventilation requires the cautious administration of this agent.

Cost-reduction analysis of propofol versus sevoflurane: maintenance of anaesthesia for gynaecological surgery using the bispectral index.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to compare the costs of propofol versus sevoflurane for the maintenance of the hypnotic component of anaesthesia during general anaesthesia, guided by the bispectral index, for gynaecological laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: Forty ASA Grade I-II female patients scheduled for gynaecological laparoscopy were randomly allocated to two groups. All patients received a continuous infusion of remifentanil (0.25 microg kg(-1) min(-1)) for 2 min. Then anaesthesia was induced with propofol 1% at 300 mL h(-1) until loss of consciousness. To guide the bispectral index between 40 and 60, Group 1 patients received propofol 10 mg kg(-1) h(-1) initially, which was increased or decreased by 2 mg kg(-1) h(-1) steps; Group 2 patients received sevoflurane, initially set at 2 vol.% and adjusted with steps of 0.2-0.4%. The time and quality of anaesthesia and recovery were assessed in two postoperative standardized interviews. RESULTS: Patient characteristics, the propofol induction dose, the bispectral index and the haemodynamic profiles during induction of anaesthesia, and its duration, were similar between the groups. In Group 1, 7.55 +/- 1.75 mg kg(-1) h(-1) propofol and in Group 2, 0.20 +/- 0.09 mL kg(-1) h(-1) liquid sevoflurane were used for maintenance. The cost for maintenance, including wasted drugs, was higher when using propofol (Euro 25.14 +/- 10.69) than sevoflurane (Euro 12.80 +/- 2.67). Postoperatively, recovery profiles tended to be better with propofol; however, the day after discharge no differences were found. CONCLUSIONS: When applying the bispectral index to guide the administration of hypnotic anaesthetic drugs, propofol-based maintenance of anaesthesia was associated with the highest cost. A trend towards a better recovery profile was obtained with propofol. However, on the day after discharge, no differences in quality were observed.

Cardiopulmonary bypass and the pharmacokinetics of drugs. An update.

Cardiopulmonary bypass is accompanied by profound changes in the organism that may alter the pharmacokinetics of drugs. Drug distribution can be altered, for example, by changes in blood flow and by haemodilution, with a decrease in protein binding; a decrease in the elimination of some drugs can be caused by impairment of renal or hepatic clearance, due, for example, to lowered perfusion and hypothermia. The subject was reviewed in the Journal in 1982, and the emphasis of the present review is on new data related to specific drugs. The following substances are dealt with: benzodiazepines, cephalosporins, digitalis glycosides, general anaesthetics, glyceryl trinitrate (nitroglycerin), lignocaine (lidocaine), muscle relaxants, nitroprusside, opiates, papaverine and propranolol. For many of these substances an abrupt decrease has been observed in serum concentration upon initiation of bypass, which is explained by haemodilution and an increase in distribution due to decreased protein binding. For nitrates and some opiates, adsorption to the bypass apparatus was shown to be important. The gradual increase in serum concentrations seen during cardiopulmonary bypass with some drugs after the initial fall is usually explained by redistribution of the drug and/or decrease in its elimination. The same phenomena are thought to explain why in the post-bypass period a concentration increase occurs, or at least a slower decrease than expected. However, drug elimination has been directly measured in only a few studies. The short duration of the bypass procedure and the continuous changes during the process hamper a rigorous pharmacokinetic evaluation. Studies allowing more precise understanding of the mechanisms underlying the observed concentration changes are needed, but are difficult to design. Similarly, more data are awaited on the pharmacodynamic and clinical consequences of the concentration changes.